Bikepacking with a dropper! simple solution

Getting ready for a week in Torridon and wanting to have a couple of bike and bivi days . Hate having to much kit on my back and I really rate the Alpkit seat pack so decided to add another seat post to strap it to giving me a little bit of drop if needed.:-)USE one bolt system so nice and easy to take off 🙂
The post returns even with the weight!
10167932_10153271013211474_8542468197456644994_n by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

11150163_10153271013261474_7866855198562424693_n by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

Inspired, Rich. Nice one.

Which rear light is that?

That is actual genius!

I can see that putting undue pressure on the rails.

Why do you need to do that?

krixmeister; it’s a Lezyne Femto led rear light.

Mcnik why because I’m planning on riding for the week but only need the pack for certain days the post is stealth so unable to swap easily 🙂

Does that put put a lot of stress on the reverb?

^ I’d guess no more than a larger person riding it?

Interesting solution, I wonder what the clearance is like at full travel with the seat dropped?

moff ZILCH! but will not be dropping it full travel!
I,m 12 stone wet through so the reverb will handily a another couple of KG

Why not just attach the bag to the dropper post though?

Why do you need an extra post?

I’d be worried about having an off and trapping my leg in there, or spearing my leg / foot etc.

Full drop no compression 😯
11150452_10153271249201474_7641858277059470667_n-2 by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

Why not just attach the bag to the dropper post though?
Will probably mark it!!! the pack moves around a fair bit ,my black thomson on my bike packing bike is now silver on contact points!

Have you deflated the shock to check that the bag doesn’t stop the suspension? It might bend your dropper post on a big hit if the forces are right!

I will not be hitting big hits with the seat post dropped!!! could/will probably lock the rear shock out!
I will only be riding with this setup occasionally !

That’s easy, just wrap the post in electrical tape on the contact points.

I’d still be worried about injury. That post would cut a really nice plug out of your heel etc.

Superb Heath Robinsoning, there! Top bodge.

Seems needless, but a top bodge nevertheless!

Well thought out, but for me, B&B FTW 😆

Looks ridiculous, fair play.

**** me that is quality!

Good to know someone is pushing the envelope and needs 3″ saddle drop to get their times up on their bike packing trip. Or something :/

This is a joke right?

No joke. If having a dropper helps ride steep rock steps on an empty bike then it is going to be even more help on a fully laden packing bike. That was my experience anyway. I simply wrapped my dropper with closed cell foam cable tied at the top and fixed the seat bag firmly to the saddle and the very top of the post. When dropped the foam compressed and when raised went back to protecting the post. Worked fine

I see what you have been after. Can you not get something to fit to the saddle mounting bolts? That allows you to run a bar off it at 90°

Intersting solution.
Few cynics on here, I’ve been using droppers for a few years now and appreciate it just as much (and possibly more) on my fully rigid bike as i do on the full-sus. When I did the BB200 on a hardtail, I reverted to a pannier rack so I could keep the dropper, but the newer 29er doesn’t have pannier mounts, and I’ve got the Wildcat seatpack from my audax bike, so want to use it. I’m suprised none of the bikepacking luggage manufacturers have figured something out yet…

No droppers with these boys!
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/rocky-mountain-sherpa/

Hey welshfarmer. Any piccies closer in of your setup? It looks like a cracking solution.

I have just taken my Reverb off and replaced it with standard post so I could use my Alpkit bag for a trip I am doing soon in the Cairngorms. I should have thought harder about bodging it on so I would still be able to drop the saddle on rocky descents. Back to the drawing board !

Anyone thought about an enduro collar to limit the drop. I was gonna take mine off for an upcoming trip but this is making me rethink.

Didn’t realise so many bikes look like Spearfish!

I used the enduro collar on a long ride, works well when you only need inch or two of drop, simpler on-or-off no thought required solution.

Nice solution.

Does a handlebar end-plug fit in the open end to round it off a bit?

Hey welshfarmer. Any piccies closer in of your setup? It looks like a cracking solution

May not look as elegant as the bespoke saddle bags but it worked very well and once fitted never moved once and wasn’t in the way at all when pedalling. And in accordance with this thread allowed me to use the dropper to some extent for some of the more gnarly drops we encountered.

Just to mention, I used welshfarmer’s solution with an Alpkit Koala over 3 days on a bike packing trip this weekend. Fantastic! The drop was limited by the bottom attachment strap on my Koala but that was still about 3 inches. Great idea. Thanks welshfarmer.

This thread gave me some inspiration for a recent trip. I found a piece of dark material that would work, then promptly forgot it at home. Used a chamois I had in the car, only thing I could fine, worked fine though!

Looks good !

My effort worked a treat in Scotland
Untitled by Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr